Investigating the Use of Oral Language Development Instruction to Accelerate the Academic Language Proficiency of English-Language Learners
Graduation Date
Spring 2007
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program Name
Education
Program Director
Madalienne F. Peters, EdD
Abstract
The achievement of English-language learners is lagging far behind that of other students. The educational policy decisions made regarding the education of English- language learners have been based more upon social and political ideals than upon research indicating which methods are most effective for accelerating the academic language proficiency of these students. The purpose of this review is to utilize the available research data to identify the most effective approaches for the use of English Language Development (ELD) instruction to accelerate the academic language proficiency of English-language learners.
The literature reveals that researchers are divided in their findings regarding effective ELD practices. Two main conclusions emerge from the literature. First, there should be records kept as to what is working in order to form an empirical basis for effective ELD practices. Second, effective instructional practices in ELD appear to be a combination of formal, explicit, sequential language instruction and informal, communicative, context-embedded activities.